I. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to building panels and methods of making building panels. More specifically, the present invention relates to hollow building panels having internal supporting structures and locking assemblies formed therein.
II. Background of the Invention
The use of interlocking wooden planks or panels to fashion ceilings, walls, wainscoting and flooring is well known in the building industry. Tongue-and-groove wooden paneling systems are widely used in all types of living spaces, such as porches, sunrooms, decks and kitchens. A typical wooden tongue-and-groove wood panel system, as shown in FIG. 1, includes panels having projecting tabs or xe2x80x9ctongues,xe2x80x9d which are received by corresponding xe2x80x9cgroovesxe2x80x9d on adjacent panels. The interlocking of a tongue of one panel with the groove of an adjacent panel provides the means by which an entire panel system may be joined and installed. Once joined, the planks may exhibit a V-shaped groove at the junction of the panels.
As indicated, typical wood paneling systems are composed of individual panels, wherein each individual panel is visible in the installed finished product. It is desirable to provide a paneling system having larger panels that, when installed, appear as smaller wooden panels. Providing larger panels would thereby reduce the number of panels required to be installed in a given space, as well as the time and cost of installation. In typical wood paneling systems, the visual width of the panel is the same as the physical width of the panel. For instance, if a ceiling or wall paneling is desired that has grooves at 2-inch intervals, the planks or panels used will be 2 inches wide. The narrower the plank is, the more planks required to cover a given width of wall or ceiling. The use of narrow planks tends to increase the installation cost of covering a given area. Therefore, a way is needed to reduce the installation costs by utilizing fewer discrete panels, while still realizing a visual effect that suggests narrow planks.
Wood products dominate the paneling market, since consumers tend to favor the aesthetic qualities of wood over current alternatives. However, synthetic alternatives to wood typically provide other advantages, such as moisture resistance, reduced weight, enhanced fire resistance and lower cost. Nevertheless, synthetic polymeric paneling products must meet consumer""s aesthetic expectations in order to compete with wood. Thus, there is a need to provide a synthetic polymer panel with a high quality fit and finish comparable to wood.
With the increase in building of outdoor living spaces comes a need to provide paneling suitable for withstanding the accompanying climate conditions. Ranges of temperature, humidity and light tend to be broader outdoors than indoors. There exists a need for ceiling, flooring and wall materials that target such demanding environments. Currently, most commercially available ceiling products are not intended for outdoor or high-humidity applications. Although, increases in the construction of outdoor living spaces such as sunrooms, porches and decks, are evident.
Such demanding environments require that consideration in designing and installing a paneling system take into account the impact of varying temperature and humidity on the choice of construction materials. In a given installation, panels will expand and contract significantly along their length as the ambient temperature varies. If the panels are simply nailed to a surface, then warping or sagging can develop. Thus, a system is needed that will provide for thermal expansion and contraction of the panels.
Although plastic panels are known to be less susceptible to these environmental conditions, known means of fastening such panels to the surface of a building are not much advanced over those known for typical wooden systems. In fact, plastic panels are typically attached by nailing or stapling. Typically, a flange is provided along an edge of the panel for the purpose of attaching the panel to a surface. Unfortunately, when attaching the panels, for instance, with a nail, the head of the nail must be hidden and sufficiently fastened such that the height of the nail head does not hinder attachment of the next panel to be installed. Thus, there is a need for a feature that hides the attachment member and provides sufficient clearance to prevent the appearance of bumps in the surface of the panel.
Replacing a typical wooden paneling system with, for instance, a solid plastic panel may prove to be expensive and difficult. The use of significantly more material could significantly increase the weight and material costs of the product, and could also create challenges in manufacturing, such as attempting to provide uniform cooling of the material to prevent warping. Conversely, providing hollow panel replacements raises another set of challenges including, but not limited to, avoiding potential warping and/or buckling, overcoming manufacturing difficulties, and providing sufficient strength and rigidity in a panel. A panel should exhibit the strength and rigidity necessary for handling, installation, and crush resistance. Also, a panel should display a smooth and consistent finish in order to meet consumer expectations. Typically, hollow panels with reinforcing ribs tend to show evidence on the panel surface of the presence of these ribs. Such evidence is usually considered a surface defect and tends to be objected to by the consumer.
Thus, there remains a need for a hollow panel that is easy to make, and that provides strength, rigidity, and an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
The present invention is directed, in part, to a hollow panel having at least one support member connecting a base member of the panel to a face member thereof. The face member is spaced apart from the base member and includes at least one groove formed therein. The support member is attached to the face member adjacent the groove, so that no seam or other surface defect, arising from the attachment of the support member to the face member, is visible on the exposed surface of the face member. The support member(s) may be angled relative to the face member in order to provide efficient and effective support for the face member.
The present invention also encompasses, in part, panels including locking assemblies formed therein. A panel may have both a first flange extending along a first edge of a base member and a second flange, spaced apart from the first flange, also extending along the first edge of the base member. The panel also may include at least one spring tab extending from a second edge of the base member. Adjacent to this second edge is a recessed portion formed in the base member. With these aspects of the locking assembly included in the base members of a paneling system, one panel may be installed and a second panel installed adjacent the first panel, with a first edge of the first panel abutting the second edge of the second panel. The first panel may be installed by fastening the first flange to the mounting surface. The second panel may then be locked to the first panel by engaging the spring tab(s) of the second panel with the second flange of the first panel. Consequently, the present invention also is directed, in part, to installing interlocking panels. The resulting interlocking panel system may have grooves, or similar formations, formed by the cooperation of a shoulder of one panel and a shoulder of an adjoining panel, wherein these formations are similar to those formed in the face member of the panel.
These and other aspects of the present invention are set forth in the brief description of the drawings and the detailed description of the invention set forth below.